Universal joint



March 16 1926. 1,577,268

G. L. TARBOX UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Dec. 10, 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I GURDION LUCIULS'TARBOX INVENTOR ATTORNEY March 16 1926. 1,577,268 G. L. TARBOX 4 UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed Dec. 10, 1924 2 Sheets-Shee 2 GURDON LUCIUS TARBOX INYENTOR Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

PATENT OFFICE.

G-UBDON LUCIUS TARBOX,-QF NORTH PLAINFIELD, ERSEY.

UNIVERSAL JOINT.

Application filed December 10, 1924. Serial No. 755,021.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUnnoN LUoIUs TAR-i BOX, a citizenof the United States, residing in North Plainfield, in the county of Somerset, State ofNew Jersey, have invented cer-.

tain newand useful Improvements in Universal Joints, of which the following is a disclosure. j

My invention relates ;to universal joints such as are employed to connect rotatable power-shafts of all kinds,,and particularly to universal joints used on propeller shafts of automobiles, and has for its obj ectto provide a commercial joint which will not throw oil and run dry.

- I The lubrication of unlversal joints rotat ing at constant speed is a simple matter but this assumes a difiicult problemv when the joint is run at varying speeds with intermittent stops. It is at the position of rest where the lubricant is drained away from the joint and after a limited number of stops, is lost and the oil reservoirs becomedry, (le stroying the bearing. lhejoint hereinafter described is designed upon a new principle and thatis to provide anoil tightlubricatmg reservoir outside of each journal, adapt ed to receive and retain theoil or lubricant which is deliveredoto it by centrifugal force while the joint is in motion and while at 1 rest release only a small portion of the oil or lubricant to be fed to the journals'to lubricate them for their next interval of running,-the excess oil being'delivered to the oppositely disposedlubricating. reservoir where it is retained and not 1051:, which constitutes a system whereby the. lubricant is equally distributed between the reservoirs, preventing any one reservoir from running dry and thereby destroy thebearing.

The foregoingand other features of my inventionwill now be described in connection withthe accompanying drawings forming partof this disclosure in which I have represented my universal'joint in its preferred form after which I shall point out more particularly in the claims those features which- I believe to be new and ofmy own invention. n1

In the accompanying drawings forming part this specification Figure 1 is a side elevation of my universal joint in part section. 1

c Figure Qis an end viewthereof with the spline member in section. Figure 3 an end view of thejournalbearmg. V

Figure 4 is a detail of the journal trunmon. 1

Figure 5 is a sectional detail of the jour-' nal bushing employed.

In the carrying out of my. invention I employ a flanged member and a spline member each provided with two journal bearings which are mounted on a trunnion and which provide the universal movement desired. It will be readily understood that two flanged members or two splined members may be also connected in this manner if desired; I have shown one of eachtype as this construction is common automotive practice.

The flanged member 10' 1s provided with a circular flange 1-1 adapted to be secured to asnnilar flange of a drlven 0r-dr1v1ng member, not shown, and a cross piece 12 provided with two holes 13 each adapted to receive and bearing.

The spline member 20 is also provided with a cross member 22. whichisin turn hold the stud 31 of a journal provided with two holes 23 each adapted to flange member and the spline member. A

hole 32 at right angles to the studpasses through the ournal housing. Thlslhole is ground and a bushing fitted vthereln. An

annular space 33 is'provided in the housing toaccommodate the flange of of the bushing and the packing ring which is preferably made ofcork but any type of packing suitablefor the purpose may be used. In the end of the bushing. 50. 'A plate 35 is sweated into a chase way provided for the purpose or the bearing housing may be turned opposite end of thebearing an. annularspace-84 is provided into which extends the .up over the plate as shown'ma'king anoil tight joint. It will he noticed that the plate 235 crjnitacts with the ends of the bushing 50 and that semi-circular slots are cut into the bushing so that the lubricant may flow from the annular ring to the center portion above the journal pin.

It will be readily understood that with this construction the hearing will comprise an annular shaped reservoir for the lubricant beyond the end of the journal and that the lubricant cannot run out of any of the joints.

The journal trunnion it) compr'ses four journal pins 11 each provided with suitable shoulders Holes 4:3 for the lubricant extend through the pins and are connected with each other in the center of the block. A lubricating means 4:6 provided to deliver the lubricant to the center of the trunnion. It will be observed by referring to Figure 1 that these holes 43 have diverging branches a l extending to the surface of the journal pins at approximately 45 with the through holes.

It will be at once apparent that when the joint is connected up ready for use and filled with oil or lubricant through the plug sit) and as soon as centrifugal force takes etl'ect the lubricant will fly out to the annular space beyond the journal pins where it is encased and held there for future use. As soon as the joint is stopped the oil or lubricant which is in the center portion of the annular reservoir will flow through the holee3 into the oppositely dis posed reservoir, lubricating the pins as it ows because of the small amount of oil that is conducted through the b anches H. No oil flows out between the pin 41 and the bushing because only a small quantity arrives at that place and as it is not under pressure it is retained there by surface tension.

1 wish it distinctly understood that my ui'iiversal jointherein described and illustrated is in the form in which I desire to construct it, but that changes or variations may be made as may be convenient or desirable without departing from the salient fcatureso't my invention and I therefore intend the following claims to cover such nuidilications as naturally fall within the lines of inventions.

I claim:

I. A universal joint comprising a driving and, driven. member journaled at right angles to each other to a trunnion block, circular lubricant reservoirs located beyond the end of the journal pins, annular reservoirs surrounding each circular reservoir and connected thereto, said trunnion block provided with communicating passage connecting the reservoirs with each other;

2. A universal joint comprising a driving and driven member journaled to a trunnion bloclr provided with four journal pins, circular lubricant reservoirs located beyond the end of the journal pins, annular reservoirs surrounding each circular reservoir and connecting therewith, said trunnion block provided with communicating passages connecting the reservoirs, means to fill the lubricant chambers through the center of the trunnion block.

3. A universal joint comprising a driving and driven member journaled to a trunnion block provided with journal pins, journal bearings provided with a lubricant chamber outside the journal pins, journal bushings extending beyond the journal pins into the lubricant chambers forming an annular reserve space to retain the lubricant, and a circular space to supply the lubricant.

4:. In a universal joint annular lubricant reservoirs coaxial with and extending'beyond the journal, circular reservoirs within the annular reservoirs and connected therewith.

5. In a universal joint annular lubricant reservoirs coaxial with and extending beyond the journals, circular reservoirs within the annular reservoirs and communicating therewith, a. journal block provided with comnnmicating passages connecting the res ervoirs with each other.

6. In a universal joint a journal bearing comprising means to secure it to a driving or driven member, a lubricant reservoir whose diameter is larger than the diameter of the journal, and located beyond the end thereof, a bushing extending beyond the journal and into the lubricant reservoir dividing the lubricant reservoirs into two chambers.

7. In a universal joint a journal bearing comprising a lubricant reservoir whose diameter is larger than the diameter of the journal and located beyond the end thereof, said lubricant chamber closed at its outer end, a bushing extending beyond the journal and into the lubricant reservoir forming an annular ring and a circular chamber, bushings provided with passages connecting the annular ring and the circular chamber.

8. In a universal joint a journal bearing comprising a housing provided with a hole extending therethrough, said hole being enlarged at both ends, a bushing ground to tightly fit the hole, provided with a flange on one end, a packing washer together with the flange adapted to fill the enlarged portion of the hole on one end, the opposite end of the bushing extending into the other enlarged portion of the holedividing it into two reservoirs, a closure plate closing the outer ends of the reservoirs.

9. In a universal joint of the type deseribed two lubricant reservoirs beyond the end of each journal bearing, closed on the outer ends and connected together by communicating passages extending throu h the dividing wall, one reservoir to supp y the lubricant to bearing when the joint is at rest and the other reservoir adapted to retain the lubricant when the joint is at rest and supply the other reservoir with lubricant while joint is in motion.

10. In a universal jointv of the type described a lubricant reservoir beyond the end of each journal bearing said reservoirs being closed on the outer end thereof, a journal bushing extending into the reservoir beyond 1 the journal dividing the reservoir into two reservoirs, said bushing provided with passages connecting the two reservoirs.

In witness whereof I afiix my signature.

GURDON L. TARBOX. 

